Turkey gets EU concessions in return for refugee help

Angela Merkel agreed at a meeting with Turkish leaders to help jumpstart Ankara’s EU membership talks and relax visa requirements in exchange for a pledge to slow the flow of refugees into Europe.

The German leader, under intense pressure at home to reduce the number of refugees heading for Germany, held separate meetings in Istanbul on Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to win their support.

The outcome amounted to a bold quid pro quo that underscored the pressure she faces to resolve the crisis quickly.

“We had a very intensive and broad discussion,” Merkel said at a joint press conference with Davutoğlu after their meeting. She added that “Germany and Turkey are going to cooperate more closely.”

Turkey is viewed in Berlin as the linchpin to resolving the crisis because it is the entry point to Europe for most refugees and the only country in the region with the resources to do more for those fleeing.

“The sharing of the refugee burden should be fair,” Davutoğlu said. “Turkey has been left alone in recent years.”

A Turkish qui pro quo

The lengths Merkel has gone to woo Ankara underscore just how central Turkey is to her strategy.

By traveling to Istanbul just two weeks before Turkish elections, the German leader opened herself up to accusations she had allowed Erdoğan to use her for his campaign. What’s more, her willingness to push ahead with Turkey’s EU membership talks stands in sharp contrast to her longstanding opposition to the country’s accession.

But with more than 400,000 refugees arriving in Germany in the past six weeks alone and as many as 1.5 million expected during 2015, Merkel may have little choice but to accept such concessions.

Up to 80 percent of the refugees arriving in Europe are believed to cross through Turkey. The country has taken in more than 2 million refugees from Syria, spending about $8 billion to house and feed them.

Germany would “pay its share” to reduce the burden on Ankara, Merkel said. The EU has already pledged up to €1 billion, but Turkey is asking for €3 billion. Though Merkel said she supported additional aid, she didn’t offer specifics.

Merkel’s visit was the culmination of weeks of behind-the-scenes efforts by German and European officials aimed at prodding Turkey into action. Europe wants Turkey to begin enforcing its border by not letting refugees pass into neighboring Greece. It also wants Ankara to adopt a so-called “readmission agreement” with the EU which would obligate it to take back individuals who have crossed the border illegally.

Some German and European officials believe Erdoğan had a hand in unleashing the crisis by essentially abandoning border controls. His aim, they say, was to gain leverage in Turkey’s dealings with the EU. If true, the tactic appears to have worked.

In the November 1 election, Erdoğan hopes to regain the absolute majority in parliament that that his Justice and Development party, or AKP, lost in a June poll.

Showing progress in Turkey’s dealings with Europe could give the Turkish leader the boost he needs to achieve that goal. Turkey has pushed for visa-free travel to the EU for years and winning the concession would count as a significant political victory.

Appearing with Merkel for the cameras after their meeting, Erdoğan offered few details of their discussion.

“We talked about sharing the burden, and the chancellor agreed to support Turkey,” he said.

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Philip S. Baker

Twenty-first century migration realities make an urgent and compelling case for the EU (acting through the UN) to seek a revision of some key aspects of the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. This, I would suggest, might be achieved by making use of the provisions of Article 45 (1) which essentially offer a fitting reminder that “Any Contracting State may request revision of this Convention at any time by a notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations”. Indeed, one hastens to recommend a qualitative revision of Article 2, replacing the existing muted reference to the ‘duties’ refugees owe to their host country with a more substantive enumeration of their RESPONSIBILITIES to the citizens of countries providing them sanctuary.

Surely, these responsibilities must include adherence to the rule of law, due respect for the rights of others and a demonstrated reverence for tolerance and individual choice. Whenever and wherever the activities of ‘refugees’ pose a credible threat to law and order and social cohesion (as witnessed recently at the Calais terminal), then expulsion under Article 31 should be effectively and efficiently applied. However, such robust application of the expulsion provisions of Article 31 must necessarily engage with the constraints of Article 33 relating to the prohibition of expulsion or return of ‘refugees’.

For ease of contemplation, Article 33 (1) prohibits expelling or returning a refugee “in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion”. Therefore, Russia’s recent campaign of air and cruise missile strikes in Syria, widely perceived as specifically targeting Sunni-dominated sections of the country, will only further increase the uncontrolled mass migration of Sunnis into the EU. It will also substantially complicate efforts aimed at screening out and returning those likely to pose a threat to law and order and social cohesion.

Related to the financial challenges that come with managing and assimilating migrant flows, is the principle of ‘equal access to relief’ that is enshrined in Article 23. More specifically, Article 23 requires the host country to extend to a refugee “the same treatment with respect to public relief and assistance as is accorded to their nationals”. In light of recent humanitarian statements of welcome to an UNLIMITED number of refugees, judicious application of Article 23 could portend more singeing cuts to existing EU welfare budgets.

Merkel voiced appreciation of Turkey’s efforts and acknowledged that the EU countries should shoulder a greater responsibility in dealing with the Syrian humanitarian crisis, sources said.

Posted on 10/19/15 | 3:00 AM CET

Max

She is insane!
So first she invited a million refugees on behalf of the whole of Europe and now she’s inviting 75 million Turks again without asking anyone else. Clearly the she thinks she’s the Emperor of a new German empire and democracy has flown out of the window.

Posted on 10/19/15 | 3:56 AM CET

ExLiberal

Erdogan didn’t “win” concessions from Merkel.
He was paid (2 billion euros) for the concessions.

Posted on 10/19/15 | 6:24 AM CET

Simona

Merkel behaves like the director of the globe. (Or at least Europe).

Posted on 10/19/15 | 12:04 PM CET

Thucydides

`That sucking sound is the world’s biggest power vacuum filling up from outside.

Posted on 10/19/15 | 1:08 PM CET

pexi

It seems that Ms Merkel don’t give enough because the Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu has declared that “Turkey is not a concentration camp ” …. and Ms Merkel who was dreaming of a glorious end in politics…will end like other German chancellor’s in complete disgrace…

Posted on 10/19/15 | 4:20 PM CET

Alan Ritchie

I have the feeling that again Merkel is writing cheques & IOU’s which she simply no longer has the political or financial capital to meet & is doing so in the belief that the rest of the EU member states are afraid to stand up to her & say no.

The first question which should be asked is: Who created this refugee problem in the first place ? The answer to this should be clear TURKEY, US, SAUDI ARABIA, QUATAR,EU, in order of importance. Turkey having no hope of joining the EU diverted her attention to the East. Taking advantage of the “Arab Spring”, it started to portray herself as the most progressive Sunny Islamic State in the region, with the hopes of regaining its long lost Ottoman empire status and to dominate the region again. So it was necessary to topple the Syrian Regime controlled by non sunny minority sect, and to replace with a puppet sunny government subservient to Turkey. However the Neo-Ottoman Turkish plan did not succeed because Assad fought back, and still fighting. With their shattered policy and loss of parliamentary majority due to democratic Kurdish gains, the Turkish State starting attacking the Kurds with the hope of regaining their parliamentary majority in the coming elections next month. To enhance their chance to gain majority, Erdogan is playing the refugee crises to force EU monitory and political concessions. EU is falling for it….Shame on Merkel !

Posted on 10/19/15 | 6:21 PM CET

Koen

Wonderful. Like giving Sinn Fein control over Belfast police in exchange for them keeping the IRA in check. That’s what’s happening here: ISIS is Erdogan’s beast and he’s now using them to blackmail Europe into giving in to the demands of what is pretty much Abu Bakr’s PR and Armaments department (AK’s Turkey).

Posted on 10/19/15 | 6:59 PM CET

D X

Wrong again Ms Merkel! More big mistakes!
Turkey’s EU membership should be suspended or canceled. If Turkey wants to be in Europe, it must do its way, step by step. Now it is so far away! The membership can not be the result of blackmail!

JanV

This is what happens if you have no strategy. By pushing Greece almost out of Euroland, Germany gets a bad reputation and Greece opens up its borders. To restore German reputation Germany opens its borders without even consulting other EU countries. So much for European solidarity. Turkey seizes the opportunity and lets refugees go to Greece. Then Germany crawls back, other EU countries are urged to take over refugees from Germany in the name of European solidarity. Germany states that European borders cannot be closed. Yet is willing to pay Turkey to do just that. Now Turkey is in a strong position.